Proposed Kansas City customs center stalls

A proposed customs center near Interstate 35 in the Kansas
City area that would clear U.S. and Canadian trucks for shipments to Mexico
appears to be on hold.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official told The Kansas City Star that no paperwork
has been submitted for the proposal - and that it's "not on anybody's front
burner."

The proposed facility - called "SmartPort" - would use U.S.
and Mexican customs officials to inspect loads, then seal them for direct shipment
to Mexican destinations without the trucks having to stop at the border.

Backers of the plan say they're still pushing ahead with the
proposal, The Star reported.